TLC
by The Sarcastic Polar Bear
Summary: There's nothing like your partner giving you a little tender loving care when you're sick. Fluff.


**Hello, readers. I started this a while back, then stopped. But enjoy!**

A knocking sound stirred Natara Williams from her nap one evening, and she let out a groan before shuffling sleepily to the door. She peered through the peephole, and upon seeing her partner on the other side, opened it.

"What is it?" she yawned.

"I hear you called in sick." Mal stepped into her apartment, rolling his eyes at the clutter scattered around the living room floor.

"And you're here because...?" Natara sneezed into a tissue, and Mal took a moment to look over her in amusement. She was wearing a loose tee shirt and pajamas pants, and he nearly burst out laughing when he looked at her feet.

"Bunny slippers? Really?"

"Shut up!"

"Wow... that could hit the news. Tough FBI Agent Caught In Bunny Slippers."

Natara glared at him. "Are you here for something important?" she asked, her voice stuffy.

"Nope."

"So you're just here to harass me?"

"I prefer to call it charming."

"I'll just let you think that. Now why are you here on my sick day?"

"I'm your knight in shining armor?" He smirked, obviously enjoying himself.

"Oh, how kind." Natara rolled her eyes and sniffled. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Naw. I just got off and wanted to see what you were doing. Besides  
>sneezing."<p>

"Leave," she whined. "I'm tired and you woke me up."

"Now you're whining? This could hit world news! Tough chick like you, whining while wearing bunny slippers."

"I still have my gun, you know."

"Aw, you wouldn't shoot me. I'm too special." He sat down on her couch and started to flip through the channels on her television.

"Just make yourself at home," Natara grumbled, lying down and resting her head on the armrest.

"Thanks." Mal propped his feet up on the coffee table, much to Natara's annoyance.

"Mal, you know how much that bothers me."

"But the clothes on the floor are fine? And is that a sock on your bookshelf?"

"Whatever! Get your feet off of my table!" Natara demanded. Mal's feet stayed put, and she groaned and buried her face in the pillow in exasperation.

"What do you have to eat? I missed dinner." Mal stood up and made his way into the kitchen.

"Stop snooping!"

Mal smiled in amusement as he rooted through her kitchen. Natara scoffed and shuffled into the kitchen. "You know, you could eat something."

"I don't wanna fix anything," she argued. "I'm not hungry." She watched as Mal turned the stove on and opened a can of soup.

"Too bad." Once the soup was warm, he fixed her a bowl. "Now go lay down."

"Mal, I'm not a dog," she grouched. Nonetheless, she made her way to the couch and followed his order.

"Good girl." Natara looked up at him with a look that could melt ice, but he merely shrugged and handed her the bowl. "You should be thankful you have a partner this nice."

"I'll be thankful when I'm not sick," she mumbled, spooning a bit of the soup into her mouth. She rested her feet in his lap.

"Really? I'm a footrest?"

"If you insist on staying, you're gonna do what I want you to do." She attempted to sound firm, but with her voice as stuffy as it was, it was very much impossible. Mal secretly found it adorable, along with the fact that the tip of her nose was pink and she wore bunny slippers. But seeing that he didn't have a death wish, he wasn't about to tell her that.

"As you wish, Lady Bunny Feet." He smiled innocently, and Natara narrowed her eyes.

"I will kick you."

"After I've been so generous. I mean, I made you a bowl of soup! That's dedication, Natara."

Natara, suddenly realizing she had practically inhaled her soup, handed him the bowl. "Then dedicate yourself to putting that away."

"Bossy." Mal took the bowl and returned it to the kitchen, rinsing it out in the sink. By the time he returned to the living room, Natara was fiddling with the thermostat, muttering something unintelligible. "Having a problem there?"

"My thermostat is broken, and I'm freezing."

"Then why don't you use that mountain of blankets you have in the hallway closet?"

"You looked in my closet?"

"Well, you left the door wide open. What was I supposed to do? Close my eyes?"

"Just get me a blanket" she pleaded, collapsing heavily onto the couch.

"Don't you have a bed?" he called over his shoulder as he retrieved the items for her.

"The couch is closer."

"I found out about you being sloppy when we were undercover, but I never knew you were this lazy. I mean, you woke up early every morning."

"I'm sick," she argued. "I have plenty of reason to be lazy." She scowled as Mal draped the blanket around her shoulders. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep."

"Sleep tight, whiny bunny."

"Stop it!" Natara closed her eyes and turned away from him. Soon she was snoring softly, and her head fell onto his shoulder. Making sure she was fully asleep, Mal put his arm around her shoulders. Natara snuggled into him, blissfully unaware of her actions.

Late in the night, hours later, Natara woke up. Her bleary eyes caught sight of Mal. He had fallen asleep, and she blinked, momentarily confused until she remembered how he had invited himself into her apartment. With a yawn, she rested her head on his arm again, not quite feeling ready to get off of the couch.

Finally she mustered the strength to stand up and shuffle sleepily into the kitchen. It was only two in the morning, but she poured a glass of orange juice and sipped it thirstily.

Sometime shortly later, Mal opened his eyes groggily. It took him a moment to realize that he was at Natara's apartment. She sat on the other end of the couch, absently thumbing through a book. He groaned tiredly. His head felt like it had gained one hundred pounds since he had fallen asleep, and he could barely breathe through his nose. He scowled at Natara, and she glanced up from her book.

"And a good morning to you, too," she greeted.

"You," he hissed.

Natara shrugged casually. "That's what you get for not leaving."

"How was I supposed to know I was gonna be your pillow?" he retorted hoarsely.

"You're just cozy," she said with a smile. Mal glared at her. "And you thought I was a baby? You do know that head colds are contagious, don't you?"

"Still..."

"Aww, you're just sad that big tough Mal Fallon can get sick."

"Is this your form of-" Mal paused and sneezed. "Revenge?"

"Perhaps. It's just fun to see you like this."

"Sick and suffering? That's really cruel, Nat."

"I was gonna say soft and babyish, but that works."

"I'm not a baby!"

"But your bottom lip is sticking out."

"You had yours sticking out all evening," he defended.

Natara glared at him before they sneezed in unison.****

**Aww... Fluff. LOL. Anyway, the reason I returned to this is because I have a cold myself... not fun! Review? Pwetty pwetty pweeeeeeeease? **


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